


sweet disposition

by frizzoli (timequakes)



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-20
Updated: 2012-09-20
Packaged: 2017-11-19 03:57:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/568820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timequakes/pseuds/frizzoli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>love is friendship set on fire. For them, the fire starts slowly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sweet disposition

Neither of them can ever be sure when it happened.  
  
The whole team is affectionate. They're soccer players. They're tactile and unashamed of the way they act, for the most part, around each other. On top of that, Alex and Tobin are close friends, so that tactility is multiplied again and again, enough so that the boundaries between 'friendly' and 'weird' start to blur. It's not as if they speak to each other any differently. In fact, in the light of day, they don't acknowledge it at all. And it's not a constant thing, it's a once-in-a-while thing. It's a they-share-a-bed-and-Tobin-ends-up-with-her-nose-pressed-against-Alex's-neck thing. And the weirdest part of the whole thing is that Alex doesn't mind. She kind of likes it, even, when she wakes up and Tobin's arm is slung low around her torso.  
  
Sometimes she wakes up and doesn't move right away. Instead she breathes in and moves back a little, then a little again, until she can feel Tobin's breath tickling the back of her neck. Then, and only then, she gets the strangest urge to roll over. She never does.

-

 

It's easier to talk when they're apart. In fact, Alex realizes, it's only on a piece of paper that she can talk about what went on with them. When she takes out her pen on the flight back to California, she writes faster than she's written in...well, maybe ever. They've been apart maybe six hours.

  
_Tobs,_

I didn't think this would suck so much so early. You know what I mean? I'm on a plane somewhere over the Great Lakes and I have nobody to play Monop Deal with. On top of that, the woman next to me is snoring. I mean, it's rediculous. She snores at least as loudly as Kelley does and people are starting at her and they're staring at me like I should wake her up but I'm too chicken to do it. You would, though. And she'd probably even thank you. If I did it I think she'd try to bite me. She looks a little rabid.

Anyway, I don't know when you'll get this, but I hope you're okay. I'm sure whenever you read this I'm missing you. Especially because I know for a fact my dog won't be as good at keeping the bed warm as you.

Alex.

_-_

The reply comes so quickly that Alex knows Toobin sent her letter before she recieved one.

_Baby Horse,_

I'm sitting in my sister's apartment and I'm so bored I could cry. I could tweet you or text you or email you but writing takes up more of my time, which I need to do, so I figured I'd try. I don't write though so this will probably be short. I miss you and it's weird because I saw you like two days ago, or three days ago. My sister's pull out couch sucks so bad that it makes me miss hotel beds. Or maybe I just miss our sleepovers.

Tobin.

_-_

After that the letters come and go regularly, once a week. They don't have to talk about anything in particular, and they're certainly not required to bring up the shift of the metaphorical ground under them, but they do. Bit by bit they work hints of it into letters, until there are things like  _I saw a girl who reminded me of you today_ _but she wasn't as pretty_ and  _I woke up hugging my pillow_ and  _I heard a song on the radio that made me think of you_ and finally  _Servando moved out today_ with no warning at all.

Well, Alex hadn't given Tobin any warning, but it had been a long time coming. Alex and Servando were both too competitive, too stubborn, and too busy to stay anything like what they had been when they met. Besides which, he had changed while she was gone, had begun associating with some players she didn't particularly like, and they had fought about it, and then he had found the letter.

It was innocuous. It was, "I miss you and nobody will play any board games with me because apparently I'm competitive and abrasive when I lose, did you know?" but it had been enough that he had said she wasn't allowed to decide she didn't like his friends if he didn't get to make any judgement on hers.

Things had gotten ugly. And maybe she had kicked him out. All she knows for sure now is that she needs this next letter like it's a lifeline and she's barely treading water.

-

  
_Alex,_

_He didn't deserve you anyway. Anyone who can't take you head to head in any strategy game isn't smart enough to keep up._

_Tobs._

_-_

 

      Tobs,

I wish you were here. I bought new sheets and pillowcases and towels and everything but it doesn't feel right to live here alone. I hate Seattle. I hate the rain. I hate the West Coast.

       Alex.

-

 

_Alex,_

_I wish I was there, too. Seattle's a lot nicer than the Bronx. That's where I'm living now, did I tell you yet? I have an apartment. But it's so small that if I stick my arms and legs out in bed I can touch all four walls of the bedroom. We wouldn't be able to fit on this bed together so sleepovers are out. The east coast isn't so awesome without you, either._

_Tobs.  
-_

       Tobs,

I'm sending some things in this package that I think you'll like. In case it doesn't come through right, this is what you SHOULD get: a package of Serendipity frozen hot chocolate, Bible Verse mix-up magnets, and one very fabulous pair of red white and blue granny panties that I couldn't resist buying but didn't want to keep. Which, of course, means that you have to have them.

      Alex.

-

_Alex,_

_I could kiss you._

_( The frozen hot chocolate was awesome. I had it in the granny panties sitting in my own (!!) kitchen and I rearranged the magnets until they made sense. I think that took at least an hour. )_

_Tobs._

_-_

      Tobs,

Please do.

      Alex.

-

_Alex,_  


_  
Is that permission??_

  
_  
Tobs._

-

Tobs,

That depends on whether or not you're going to follow through.

Alex.

-

_Baby horse,_  


__  
Enclosed is a genuine Tobin kiss. Enjoy it cause I ate all the other ones.

Yours,

  
_  
Tobs._

-

Alex laughs out loud when she opens the envelope and finds a smushed little half-melted Hershey's kiss. She doesn't eat it right away, though, she freezes it instead, because everything seems so surreal when she opens those envelopes that she likes to keep the mystery for a little while.

When she finally gives in and unwraps it, she lets it melt in her mouth while she perches on the lip of her bathtub in sweats, waiting for the water to rise, rereading the letter. Her eyes catch on 'yours', and then linger there. She rereads that one word until the hot water is swirling around her ankle and the chocolate is gone from her mouth.

-

Tobs,

I never knew you were such a charmer. Guess I've been missing out- that kiss was pretty good.

Alex.

-

_Alex,_

_There's more where that came from. Actually, I'm not kidding, I bought a whole nother bag but I'm trying not to open it. I always knew we were missing out, I was just too nice to say it._

_Tobs._

_-_

 

 

Tobs,

You should have been meaner, cause now I'm not sure how long this has been going on and it makes my brain hurt when I think about it for longer than five minutes at a time. Actually, I'm not even really sure what 'this' is.

A little help?

Alex.

-

_Baby horse,_

_I think maybe I liked you a lot, and you liked me a lot, and we generally just ended up liking each other a lot more than we expected. All I really know is that I wanna replace that lame chocolate kiss with a real one as soon as I can, if you'd let me._

_Tobs._

_-_

Tobin,

And this isn't weird for you? With church and everything? I mean, it's not weird for me, but I don't want to assume or anything. But I definitely want the real version. I want what you want.

Alex.

-

_Alex,_

Romans 13:8.

Tobin.

-

She has to google the Bible verse because she doesn't have a Bible in the apartment and it's too late at night when she reads the letter for her to go out and buy one somewhere. When it comes up sne rereads it a few times until she's pretty sure her smile can't get any bigger without pulling something.

 

" _Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law_."

Love.

She doesn't even write anything to put in the envelope, she just cuts out a little red heart from a piece of paper, seals the envelope, and writes three words on the back.

-

_Baby horse,_  


_  
I love you too. Promise I'll take good care of it._

_  
Tobs._


End file.
